Europe's Got An A/C Problem & We've Got To Talk About It...

I took a trip to Rome where the temperatures were a scorching 96 degrees almost daily. Despite taking some opportunities to eat indoors, there was little relief from the heat. It was like sipping an Aperol spritz in a sauna. I began to imagine what the Paris Olympics would be like with intense temperatures predicted during the games. Well, the athletes were very vocal about the lack of climate control, which is crazy to me considering that the olympic village was built as an apartment complex. You would think that they would have some kind of air conditioning within the units to keep athletes cool given the fact that a lack of sleep- which is common with high temperatures among other issues - can impact performance.

Living in Paris I can tell you, that air conditioning during the summer months is no luxury. Only select metro lines have air conditioning and not everyone wears deodorant. Nothing like a whiff of funk smacking you right in the face at 8:30 in the morning.

So, what’s the beef with A/C in France, and Europe in general?Well, there has been a long ongoing debate about it in Europe where people believe it makes you sick. Well, if it’s a choice between a little cold vs a heat stroke I mean, what would you choose? Especially, since France and Italy in particular have the oldest populations in Europe.

To be fair, I can’t give them all the smoke, a large part of it is an infrastructure problem. Many of these buildings are very old and lack the capabilities to install cooling systems. Moreover, trying to retrofit these buildings can be difficult and costly. In addition, window a/c units that exist in the States won’t work with the current architecture.

There has also been talk about its impact on the environment. Well, do we need car manufacturers making the next Model ZX without offering electric or hydrogen options? I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the damage to the environment has already been done - YES, global space programs, I’m looking at you. How many times do we need to pierce the atmosphere to explore the possibility of sustaining life on Mars - meanwhile we ‘re struggling to sustain life here. Now, with space tourism becoming a thing, Jane & Joe Schmo can simply purchase a ticket for kicks and giggles to chill out in space for 10 mins, Thank you Elon Musk & Jeff Bezos. Yet, back in the 90s & 00s everyone wanted to blame the damage to the ozone layer on misting aerosol cans.

And don’t get me started on fast fashion, I mean do we need another outfit from Shein, Temu or Forever 21? Whatever happened to the capsule wardrobe ideology. What’s even more concerning is how that stuff is made. Many of the rivers in Southern Asia mimic the colors of the year’s latest Pantone color trend. So much for the local wildlife and ecology.

The reality is, A/C WILL have to become a part of our reality in Europe climate change or not because the temperatures are only getting hotter, if the goal is to be able to survive the summer months in the future.